1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic device sockets and more specifically to electronic circuitry implemented within electronic sockets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic sockets serve a mechanical and an electrical purpose. The mechanical purpose is to provide mechanical support for electronic devices fabriated as packages. The most common implementation is the use of a socket for dual inline package to provide mechanical support for the dual inline package in a printed circuit board. The prior art socket consists of a body of nonconducting material with pins and pin sockets. The pin sockets receive the pins of the dual inline package, and these pins of the socket provide the connection to the printed circuit board. The socket is usually soldered to the printed circuit board, becoming permanently fixed. The dual inline package containing the electronic device, however, can be installed and removed from the socket without altering the socket connection to the printed circuit board. The socket then allows for the ease of electrical connection of the electronic dual inline package to the electronic devices contained on the printed circuit board. These sockets, therefore, do not provide any true electronic function other than the mechanical support and electrical connection of the electronic device contained in the dual inline package to the printed circuit board.
More recently microprocessors package in dual inline packages have been produced to receive read-only memories (ROM) to provide the programmation. This piggy back arrangement allows for the alteration of programs for execution in the microprocessor. However, the microprocessor still requires a socket to provide mechanical support and electrical interconnection to the circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,069 entitled, "Integrated Circuit Package" by Joseph Link assigned to Mostek Corporation, describes an integrated semiconductor package that is capable of supporting a separate integrated circuit package. The integrated circuit package subscribed in this patent, however, is not an integrated circuit socket as described in the present invention. The patented integrated circuit package does include pin sockets on the top surface of the package itself that connect to an itegrated circuit contained within the package. The integrated circuit is also connected to pins which extend beneath the integrated circuit package.